The healing properties of herbs St. John's wort: What are silent manufacturers?

healing properties of herbs St. John's wort St. John's wort grass and its use in medicine described in many ancient books of the doctors of the distant past.Grandmothers and great-grandmother of many of us with his hands St. John's wort was collected, dried, and in autumn and winter have used it to treat and prevent many diseases.

Plants also can be unsafe

herb St. John's wort - low plant, which in late June or early July, the color yellow;once it used not only to treat disease, but also for protection against evil forces.Today, manufacturers of alternative medicines in the St. John's wort earn about hundreds of millions of dollars annually, he became one of the most popular herbal medicines on the market;Since most people do not know where and how to collect, they buy it.More often than not take St. John's wort in the form of capsules or decoction, at least - in the form of tinctures.Although it helps with many diseases, currently it is most often used to treat mild to moderate depression Depression - a little more than a bad mood .Given these properties of St. John's wort, it seems rather surprising that it causes unwanted interaction with some of the most commonly used antidepressants are now.Moreover, the herb Hypericum appeared to reduce the effectiveness of some oral contraceptives.Was recorded a case where a woman for nine years successfully used combined oral contraceptives, six months after she started taking St. John's wort, came unplanned pregnancy.Furthermore, it was found that hypericum reduces the effectiveness of many drugs used to treat heart disease, epilepsy, cancer, and for inhibiting the activity of the immune system following organ transplants.

However, many drugs cause potentially dangerous drug interactions - this is not a novelty.The problem is the integrity of producers in relation to customers - this quality can boast, not all manufacturers of drugs based on St. John's wort.In 2008 it has been audited 74 funds from St. John's wort from different manufacturers, and found that only a quarter of the packaging says that St. John's wort can be dangerous to take with antidepressants.Information about St. John's wort interaction with oral contraceptives was only 8% of packages.

Various organizations in many countries have repeatedly raised the issue of the need to impose strict standards for alternative drugs that are currently being sold and used widely.However, until now laws against producers of such funds remain very soft.In particular, the law does not oblige them to inform customers about the potential dangers of their own products.Manufacturers themselves actively oppose the adoption of more stringent laws, and the lack of warnings on packages of natural medicines helps to perpetuate the ideas in people's minds that such medicines are always harmless.

Why do people still buy St. John's wort, without receiving information about the associated potential dangers?One of the reasons is that every major manufacturer there are supporters of the government, defending its interests, and the other reason is the fact that in many countries, companies that produce herbal medicines or dietary supplements are not required to prove their safety andefficiency (in contrast to drug manufacturers).As a rule, it is the task of government organizations involved in the quality control of medicinal products - to prove, if necessary, that a particular vehicle is unsafe.(For example, to ban ephedra in that order - supplement for weight loss - it took more than seven years, despite numerous data indicating that it has been linked to heart attacks, strokes and several deaths).St. John's wort is not so dangerous, but nonetheless, fighting for that in preparations of this plant appeared cautionary continues.

What's inside?

Ask a question when buying drugs based on St. John's wort that within them, more than appropriate: studies show that the concentration of active ingredients in a variety of very different with St. John's wort.The standardized preparations of St. John's wort preparations of St. John's wort - recipes of traditional medicine should contain 0.3% hypericin - one of the main active ingredients of the plant.However, until recently, experts rarely have studied the content of hypericin and pseudohypericin - another active substance St. John's wort - in such preparations.This question became engaged only after the scientists talked about the potential dangers of the use of St. John's Wort Hypericum : application - medicine for 99 diseases , and should take into account that the currently available information may be incomplete.

recently completed a study in which five products studied St. John's wort, which are freely sold over the counter.All of these products are relatively low hypericin.

In one of the tools that have become the objects of study, the amount of hypericin was 39% as stated on the label, in the other - from 2% to 22%.With regard pseudohypericin, it was not mentioned on the label at all, but are present in all samples tested.At the same time as the hypericin and pseudohypericin facilitate the symptoms of depression and struggle with certain viruses.In addition, experts note that even a single manufacturer of active component in the different batches can vary.Thus, those who take Hypericum may be difficult to properly adjust the dose, as well as adjust the dose of other medications that may interact with the hunter.For this reason, herb St. John's wort children, people with chronic diseases as well as immunosuppressed not recommended: the results of its use may be too unpredictable.